


Splintered Lives

by JDLouis



Series: Requests / One-Shots [4]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Historical, Sad, Slavery, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:55:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JDLouis/pseuds/JDLouis
Summary: Running from a vengeful tyrant is no easy feat. Doing it for 5 years is almost impossible.When those with power and wealth will stop at nothing to see you dead, desperate measures are as common an occurrence as Hoenn rainstorms.Years of good luck have finally run their course, and now the bell tolls for those it wishes to claim.
Series: Requests / One-Shots [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2032732





	Splintered Lives

**Author's Note:**

> Good evening and I hope my story that I am sharing with you today finds you well. A bit of a different approach to this request, but I think it came out alright. Let me know your thoughts.

**A Rude Awakening**

I was violently jerked from my sound slumber by the loud sound of crashing wood. Then, without warning, the unmistakable thundering of a grand cannonade assaulted my senses as the ship quaked and the wood rafters cracked and splintered. It was so sudden that I was still seeing small blurbs of my quaint little dream in my vision.

"What the hell is going on?" I yelled in half a stupor.

" _I do not know, but we shouldn't be here!_ " I heard her voice echo softly in my head, " _We must have been beached or something!_ "

"Beaches don't have a dozen bloody fucking cannons!" I yelled, ripping myself from the bed sheets and quickly slipping my shoes on, fearing the worst. Without hesitation, Aria, the Gardevoir that had been my companion for the last several years, grabbed a hold of my hand and pulled me into the narrow passageway where the crewmembers of the ship were frantically trying to run to the upper decks.

"We must get to the top!" I yelled through the hysterical cacophony of spent gunpowder that singed my nostrils and ringing brass bells that reverberated within my ears.

" _I will clear a path for us!_ " Psychically pushing people aside as we ran through the very narrow passageway of the bottom deck, we came upon the large stairway that led to the first floor, where rows of cannons were being heaved hastily to one side of the ship. Orders innumerable were being barked at light speed to whatever poor scalawag was either awake or alive to hear them. Through the chaos we managed to weave between angry officers and rolling cannons as the grainy smell of gunpowder quickly started to give way to the choking scent of burning wood.

"That best not be us!"

" _I fear that it might be._ " She responded, her voice shaking with fear. Solid wooden pillars by the dozen passed us by as we came close to the next set of stairs that led to the mid deck. Without warning, my senses were assaulted as I was left concussed by a massive blast that sent both myself and the wooden shrapnel of the hull flying. With a solid crack, my body slammed into one of the pillars besides us that had barely been left standing in the wake of whatever just blew a hole in the side of the ship.

My ears rang and the world around me began to spin. Images of my life began to play before me like some sort of child's flip book. My breaths were labored as fine sawdust and lingering smoke plumes clawed their way into my lungs. Coughing beyond my own control, I laid motionless there in a concussive stupor. Moments passed like hours as my senses slowly began to reorient themselves. Sounds of the ship under attack slowly began to weasel their way into my ears. Focusing in and out, I barely made out the silhouette of Aria who was frantically shaking me, trying to get me to move in any manner whatsoever.

" _Are you okay!?_ " I heard the labored yelling of my companion continually scream into my head.

"I... I... I think..."

" _There's no time, we must leave **now**!_" She proclaimed, pulling me up by my arm and straightening me out so I would not fall over. Between scorched breaths and blurred visions, I saw glimpses of us climbing the next set of stairs to the mid deck, where holes blasted into the hull rivaled even the number of cannons this giant wooden beast boasted. Like a quake in the earth, I felt the whole ship shake around us as a loud explosion above sent both of us off our balance.

"The mortars...” I mumbled, “If... If they're firing the mortars..."

" _It's them. There is no doubt it's them._ " She responded quickly, gritting her teeth while she dragged me along. Fires on the side of the ship began to burn their way into the mid deck where we found ourselves, obscuring our vision and slowing progress. It was only when I leaned over to catch a small breath of fresh air did I notice something that made my heart sink. Lodged into the shoulder of my lovely friend was a large wood splinter half the size of my forearm with blood dripping slowly down around the entrance wound, leaving a small trail of blood behind us.

"Y-Your arm!" I stammered.

" _That doesn't matter now!_ " She yelled through her pained expression, " _The top deck, that's all that matters!_ ”

Limping slowly through the smoke hazed wooden jungle as fast as we could, we passed piles of splintered wood and gravely wounded men that lay there on the floor writhing in agony. Another cannon blast sent a shockwave through the ship just in front us, splintering the hull into a fine dusty mist that obscured our path. Reluctantly, we powered into the bellowing cloud of destruction head first, running right into the shattered and fractured remains of a massive cannon split in half by the cannon fire. The remains of it obstructed almost our entire path, which meant climbing over it was our only option.

" _We must go back around!_ " Aria yelled frantically

"There's no time!" I barely managed to sputter, inhaling a large plume of smoke that made me double over in coughing fit so fierce it was as if someone threw burning coals into my lungs. With the help of Aria, I pulled myself up, and with all the strength I could muster, my muscles and chest screamed out in pain as I crested the top of this mangled cannon, floundering myself over the other side like a freshly caught magikarp. Gracefully, my companion, although slow and pained, managed to float herself over the cannon, landing next to me and using her momentum to yank me back onto my feet. Without a word, we hurried ourselves through the cluttered and devastated corridors, making pace as fast as our injured selves could. Naturally, it was not long before our path became obstructed once again, this time by a roaring blaze that had burned itself through the top deck and had now found itself consuming the corridor in the mid deck right before our eyes.

"Bloody fuck!" I yelled in a fit rage as the roaring flames drowned out any other noise we might have been able to hear.

" _I'll try to clear us a way out!_ "

Shaking and slightly pale now, she mustered her energies within and sent numerous concentrated blasts of psychic energy at the path before us, to little effect and much disdain. Frustrated at the failed attempts, she let go of her grip on me, leaving me to wobble in place as she raised both of her arms as high as she could. With one grand effort, she managed to conjure a large enough blast fierce enough to blow the fiery debris to the side. Caught off guard by the shockwave, I was thrown off my balance, crashing to the floor where a small splinter lodged itself into my arm.

" _You are such a klutz!_ " She cursed angrily, painfully leaning herself down to heave me back up once more. I didn’t even have a chance to writhe in pain before I was forced to move towards the blazing inferno that laid before us.

"Listen..." I began, my breaths now shallow from smoke and pain, "If we don't make it..."

" _We'll make it._ " She stated firmly with certainty, her gaze fixated on the path blown right before us. Mustering every last will of energy within us both, we began our hurried run through that brimstone corridor. Flames surrounded us and roared with such heat that it singed the hairs on my arms and head, as if hell itself was attempting to claim us. Fires roared and bellowed out all around us, making every attempt within their power to stop or harm us, as if the flames themselves were alive with intense vitriol. Like the fiery hand of the devil himself, an ember ridden plank above fell right as we were passing underneath, narrowly missing us thanks in no short manner to my friend who heaved us through to the other side where the flames had yet to spread. Taking a few deep breaths, we re-oriented ourselves and began our mad sprint for the last set of stairs that had now presented themselves right before us.

"One final effort!" I shouted, fighting against the pain and fatigue that plagued and pounded my body.

" _We're almost there!_ " She shouted as gleefully as she could, running alongside me. Our celebrations were not to last, however, as a whiz and a crack whirred itself right by my ears as the sound of a flintlock rifle igniting gunpowder rang my ear drums. We threw ourselves to the side of the stairs, as indecipherable yelling came from above the steps. Hurried and steady, the heavy footfalls made their way down towards us. Eager to meet this menace head on, Aria lifted herself up from the floor, and presented herself to the men that greeted my eyes as they made their final steps into the corridor. With rifles in hand that had bayonets affixed to the end, two men in yellow overcoats ran towards her with a third close behind, charging with their bayonets. I froze in place, unsure of what to do, or if there was truly anything that I _could_ do. With no hesitation, she threw the first two of the men to the side, their heads hitting the solid wood supports with a sickening crack, landing right at my feet. The third man continued his charge towards her as my vision now fixated on the weapons that lay on the floor in front of me. As if a spirit had possessed me in that moment, I hobbled over incapacitated men, and picked up the first rifle that I saw and turned my vision back up to Aria. As graceful as she was, her wounds slowed her down and, as if time itself slowed right in that moment, the man managed to swipe at her with the bayonet, cutting her at the abdomen, sending her staggering backwards. Like a man possessed, I let loose a loud yell and, without any hesitation, charged at the man with my rifle in hand. My courage had surprised him, and threw him off of his stance, allowing me to drive the bayonet clean into his chest. He yelled in agonized pain as I dug and tore as his insides with the serrated blades of war on the tip of the rifle. Wasting no time, I brought one of my hands down to the trigger of the rifle, and with a swift pull, the flint mechanism clicked, sending sparks flying with a satisfying strike, igniting the gunpowder and blowing a hole clean into his chest. That alone sent him rag-dolling off the end of my bayonet and onto the floor, writhing and screaming in shock. With the man dispatched, my only concern was now of my dear friend. I threw the rifle to the ground and turned around to see her hands shaking, holding on to the fresh wound cut into her stomach.

"Are you alright!?" I yelled, running to her side, my limbs beginning to fail me.

" _It's... not good..._ ” She began stuttering, taking her hands off the wound, revealing nothing more than a small trickle of blood, “ _But it's not grievous, thankfully._ "

I let loose a large sigh of relief, "Thank goodness 'tis but a flesh wound. We must hurry!"

" _I... I can't..._ " She muttered, limping slowly into my arms.

"Like hell you can't!"

Every muscle in my body screamed as I brought her under my arm, pulling her alongside me. Our pace up the stairs was painfully glacial, dozens of shots rang out above us for every step we took. Cannons fired and men screamed in pain, urging me to move faster with each stair we climbed. With the last step, we floundered on to the deck where splintered wood, plumes of smoke, and dying men were the only things to be seen. A quick survey around us showed a fierce fight for the upper deck of the ship where not just one, but two ships had been boarding on both sides. The skies above us were crowded with many flying pokémon I did not recognize as belonging to this ship's crew, leaving only one possibility: we were surrounded.

" _What... what do we do!?_ " She cried out, overwhelmed by the scenery that we had now found ourselves in.

"There's one last thing." I shouted in reassurance, pulling her alongside me. The helm of the ship was the only place that seemed relatively unharmed, and stood as our single solitary ticket out of this wild war frenzy. Each step grew more labored than the last, being made even more difficult as Aria's feet began to drag behind her.

" _Leave me..._ " She muttered.

"Like hell I'm leaving you!"

" _I'll only... slow you down..._ "

She doubled over onto the floor in pain right then. Her limbs were shaking and her demeanor was akin to that of the many dying men that lay strewn about the deck of the galleon. Tightly gripping the splinter that had lodged itself into her shoulder, and with one swift motion, she fiercely yanked it out and tossed it aside. Wincing in pain for a short second, she pushed herself back up onto her knees.

" _Much... better..._ "

"Have you gone mad, woman!? You'll bleed out before we even get you help!" I barked angrily. Our time was now significantly shorter, and I was not about to let her bleed out in front of me. Gathering what little strength that remained in my beaten and bruised body, I leaned her back, heaving her up and carrying her in my arms. Fires burned and howled, men screamed and fought for their lives, and at the helm of it all was the captain barking orders desperately in an attempt to maintain the integrity of his ship. He paid no heed to us as I walked up past him and toward the stern, where down in the water beneath us debris was now strewn about, tossing around in the waves that lapped against the ship's hull.

" _Put me down... quickly..._ " She pleaded. Reluctantly, I kneeled over and laid her against the wood railing of the stern, where her desperate and saddened gaze looked up at me, " _Save... yourself..._ "

"This isn't about me, you know that!"

She chuckled slightly to herself, " _Selfless to a fault..._ "

"We came all this way to save **_you_** , Aria!" I stated firmly, getting close to her face, "We're so close! You **_can't_** give up now!"

" _That's not... for me... to decide._ "

"You're damn right it's not! You're coming with me, be it hell or high water!" I yelled, putting my arms beneath her. Wanting none of it, she used what little of her powers remained to blast me back, sending me falling backwards.

" _You don’t... understand..._ "

With no other words, she agonizingly pushed herself to her feet as she kept me pinned to the splintered wooden floor. Slowly, Aria limped toward me, and pulled me up by my arms, allowing me to stand.

"Why must you be so stubborn!?" I cursed through gritted teeth, trying me best to fight the grip she had on my body, and the sadness that now clawed it's way into my head.

" _Because I have seen it... this is my end..._ "

Tears began to glisten in her beautiful pink eyes, her gorgeous blue hair swaying every so slightly in the sea breeze kissed with the smoke of war.

" _You have been... so good to me..._ "

Slowly, she turned and began carrying me toward the stern of the ship, limping painfully with every step.

"It doesn't have to end like this!" I struggled through labored breaths, "I refuse! You **_will_** come to-"

My voice was cut short, as if the air had been sucked straight from my lungs.

" _As stubborn... as you are kind..._ "

No matter how hard I fought now, I could no longer object to whatever madness she had been planning. My only choice now was to watch.

Fires raged and crackled, burning masts and man alike. Swords clashed and flintlocks thundered. Men begged for mercy, and a small group of soldiers were now running up to the helm of the ship. It was like a stage play unravelling before my very eyes. Yet even this sight was dwarfed by the solemn look on Aria's face that superimposed itself on the madness that lay strewn about behind her.

“ _There is... still much... for you to do..._ ”

Her gaze seemed to stare in the center of my being; pleading, imploring me to live on and fight another day. Convinced this was her end, and now unable to object, I resigned myself to what was about to happen, and tears began to run from my eyes and on to my cheeks. Time froze in that moment. The men who were on their way to the helm charging with menacing grimaces and eyes fueled by hate were now statues of frozen time. Slowly, she backed away from me as I floated there in the air, and untied the tiny little blue bow she always wore around her neck. Ever so gently, she brought the ribbon around my neck, and tied the end, before her soft fingers fell down onto my chest.

“ _Do not... weep... This was...always... the end..._ ”

She turned, facing the frozen battlefield behind her, staring at the devastation brought upon this captain and his crew by our existence. With a heavy sigh, she turned back to me, a small smile curling on her lips.

" _I regret... nothing... You have given me... so much... Freedom... Adventure... Happiness..._ "

The words she wanted to say began to choke in her throat, stopping her airways from speaking all that which she wanted to say to me in that moment. Shaking her head, she brought her face up close to mine, and ever so gently kissed my lips, before pulling away and parting herself from me.

" _The others... You **must**...save...the...others..._"

No sooner had those last words rung in my mind did the scene before me begin to unfold once more, and I was lurched from the back of that galleon, sent plummeting through the air down towards the briny sea. She cast me one last look over the edge of the ship as she collapsed right there onto the railing. The soldiers began surrounding her, and I dare not bare witness to what might unfold there in front of me. I cast my vision upwards, the only thing besides the large black plumes of smoke to be seen was that of the clear starry night sky, where the stars flickered and danced carelessly. Like a frame in a painting colored in slow motion, that scene before me seared itself into my brain as I took a great gasp of air, hitting the water with a solid splash.

Sounds and sights became drowned in the thickness of the roiling sea around me, leaving me alone with my thoughts for that short moment before I was to breach the surface again.

5 years. We had spent the last 5 years together finding a place safe enough for her to make her own way in this world. 5 Years, and our goal was not but a day's sail away. How cruel is the world to be, robbing such a beautiful young creature of her dream just moments before she was able to call a place home for the first time in her life? 5 years spent running from those who would see her dead, or worse, see her as someone's little slave-like pet thing to be used for their own pleasure.

I closed my eyes tightly, and angrily pushed myself to the surface. Breaching the water I took in a deep gasp of air, and began forcefully swimming my way to the nearest plank I could find that could support my weight. Throwing myself onto the large chunk of wood, I began kicking, as fast and as hard as I could, to get as far away from this conflict that I could manage.

**Beached**

I know not how or why I ended up on this beach, but the feeling of land underneath me gave me reason to be ever thankful that I had got out of there alive. Alive, and by myself.

_Aria..._

Grinding my teeth and closing my eyes, my mind only just now started to process the loss, all that had happened on that ship. I wept strongly for her, and punched the wet, compact sand until my arm grew too tired and my knuckles too bloody to hit it any more. I languished for what felt like hours there, cold and shivering, lamenting my failure to protect her on this last leg of her journey to true freedom. It was only when the sun just barely began to peek up from the watery horizon that I was snapped out of my grief-fueled trance.

With a deep breath, I took in my surroundings. It was a lightly forested area, with the beach stretching on for an eternity in one direction, and a rather sizable hill that was covered in vegetation in the other.

_The hill it is then._

Much of the debris from that battle had washed upon this shore like I did, leaving chunks of wood and barrels alike scattered along this length of beach. It didn't take long to find a suitable weapon to keep on my company: a waterlogged rifle with a bayonet attached at the end. The wet gunpowder would be beyond useless, but the bayonet could prove useful should I come across any unfavorable wildlife, or worse, more of those that would see us dead.

With a deep, solemn sigh, I cast my vision up the hill, and began the journey.

Trekking through the woods is no easy feat, especially when one is bruised and battered beyond comprehension, both physically and mentally. Keeping my mind off the loss Aria, I remained focused on my goal: Rustboro. A small port town part of the Hoenn conglomerate where pokémon roam as freely as men. Even with my clear objective, I couldn't help but break down and begin sobbing when the grief piled too high for me to handle.

_I mustn’t slow down. The others depend on me._

I was never a strong man, nor have I ever claimed to be. Emotional beyond reason, and physically frail from birth, I was never destined to be strong. But if it meant doing right by Aria, though, I would be as strong as I needed to be.

The hike was long and gruesome, taking me well into the afternoon. A feeling of accomplishment like no other washed over me as I made the last few steps to the top of this hill, where the view was so magnificent, I could have set up camp right then and there. Another curious sight came to vision, however. The lights of Rustboro were flickering and alive, a beacon of civilization in these hungry wilds. Further inspection, however, left my heart sinking in my chest. Ships, numbered by the dozens, surrounded the harbor of this small port town with all their cannons and mortars raining down on the poor denizens of the dockyard. The same flags of the empire that sought to track down and end the life of my beloved Aria fluttered in the wind on the masts on each of those ships that rained hell into the city.

Vigor renewed, I doubled my efforts to reach the city as the final words of Aria echoed in my head,

_The others._

_You must save the others._


End file.
